Jargon Buster
Adverse Credit: used to describe a person who has a history of defaulting on credit repayments, has county court judgements or has been declared bankrupt.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate): the total amount of interest and other fees charged on a loan.
Arrears: when a borrower has fallen behind on loan or mortgage repayments.
Bad Credit: Common practices that can damage a credit rating including making late payments, skipping payments, exceeding card limits or declaring bankruptcy.
Broker: an individual who sources financial products best suited to an individual's needs
Cashback: an incentive whereby the borrower receives back a sum of money when taking out a loan
CCJ (County Court Judgement): a court order against a borrower demanding they pay back money owed
Credit Agreement: a signed agreement between the lender and borrower, outlining terms and conditions relating to the loan
Credit Reference Agency: a company the provides lenders with individual's credit details and history
Credit Score: an applicant's credit status based on searches carried out by credit reference agencies
Fixed Interest Rate: an interest rate the remains the same throughout the loan term
Over-Repyaments: when payments are higher or more frequent than stipulated in the credit agreement
Payment Protection: an insurance plan that will take care of loan repayments on your behalf in the event of illness or redundancy
Secured Loan: where a borrower's property is used as security to guarantee repayment of the loan
Self-Certification: where the loans company allows the applicant to state his income without providing evidence
Term: the period of time between the beginning loan date on the legal documents and the date the entire balance of the loan is due
Under-Repayments: when payments are lower or less frequent than stipulated in the credit agreement, often authorised by lenders if the borrower is struggling to make repayments but is committed to making some contribution until the situation improves
Underwriting: the assessment made by a lender to decide whether to approve a loan application
Unsecured Loan: a loan that does not require the borrower to use his home as security
Variable Rate Interested: an interest rate that will fluctuate throughout the loan term, either up or down depending on market forces.
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